Bahrain Grand Prix: Track and statistics
Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2025
Date
Track
Circle length
Circles
The distance
11-13/04/25
Bahrain International Circuit
54.12 m
57
308.238 km
Official website
The Kingdom of Bahrain is a group of 36 islands in the south of the Arabian Gulf between the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia and the Qatar peninsula. The largest island is Bahrain, with an area of 663 square kilometers. The capital, Manama, is the country's commercial center and one of the free trade zones in the Persian Gulf region.
On September 14, 2002, the Kingdom of Bahrain signed a contract to host the Grand Prix, and construction of a circuit capable of hosting races 365 days a year soon began. The project was developed by the architectural firm of Hermann Tilke, the construction cost $ 150 million, the official opening took place on March 17, 2004, two weeks before the debut Grand Prix, which was won by Michael Schumacher.
In 2010, a new 6299-meter track configuration was used - a section was added between the fourth and fifth turns, which increased the lap length by 887 meters, but in 2012 they returned to the previous version.
In 2011, the stage was canceled due to protests suppressed by the authorities, in 2012, the fate of the race was decided a week before the Grand Prix, but several major television companies refused to send journalists to Bahrain for security reasons. The situation has stabilized in recent years.
In 2014, the Bahrain race was held under artificial lighting for the first time, and since then it has become a tradition. According to another tradition, due to local peculiarities, racers on the podium are watered not with champagne, but with non-alcoholic soda.
In 2020, Bahrain hosted two stages at once. First, on the classic version of the track, and a week later – along the outer perimeter, where the 4th and 13th turns were connected.
Sahir has been hosting winter tests for several years, from 2021 to 2024, Bahrain hosted the first race of the season, but this year the season started in Melbourne, and Bahrain will host the fourth stage.
Characteristics of the route
The track is demanding in terms of acceleration dynamics, efficiency, and brake cooling. The machines are adjusted to medium downforce. Riders drive 75% of the lap distance with the accelerator pedal fully depressed, reaching speeds above 300 km/h three times per lap.
The time loss at the pit stop is 18.6 seconds, the total time of the pit stop is 22.6 seconds. Tire wear on abrasive asphalt is high. Last year, most of the drivers completed the race with two pit stops. The allowed speed in the pit lane this weekend is 80 km/h.
There are three independent DRS zones on the track – pilots will be able to change the position of the controlled element of the rear wing on the straights between turns 3 and 4, between 10 and 11, and on the starting straight.
The load on the cooling system in Bahrain is very high, because of the sand and dust, the teams install additional filters.
There are almost no high-speed turns on the track, and you can overtake when braking at the end of the straights. The long starting straight and the relatively slow middle section force engineers to seek a traditional compromise between downforce and speed.
The best results of the Bahrain Grand Prix sessions in 2024
Event
Weather
Racer
The Time Team
The first training session
Clear. Dry
D.Riccardo
RB
1:32.869
The second training session
Dark. Dry
L. Hamilton
Mercedes
1:30.374
The third training session
Clear. Dry
K.Sainz
Ferrari
1:30.824
Qualification
Dark. Dry
M.Verstappen
Red Bull
1:29.179
Best lap of the race
Clear. Dry
M.Verstappen
Red Bull
1:32.608
Weekend schedule
You can follow the progress of all Formula 1 sessions on our live broadcast page.
Bahrain Grand Prix schedule. Moscow time
Day
Event
Time
11/04
Formula 3: Training
10:55 - 11:40
11/04
Formula 2: Training
12:05 - 12:50
11/04
Formula 1: Presentation of cars
13:00 - 14:00
11/04
Formula 1: The first training session
14:30 - 15:30
11/04
Formula 3: Qualification
16:00 - 16:30
11/04
Formula 2: Qualification
16:55 - 17:25
11/04
Formula 1: The second training session
18:00 - 19:00
12/04
Formula 3: Sprint (19 laps or 40 minutes + 1 lap)
13:15 - 14:00
12/04
Formula 1: The Third training session
15:30 - 16:30
12/04
Formula 2: Sprint (23 laps or 45 minutes + 1 lap)
17:15 - 18:05
12/04
Formula 1: Qualification
19:00 - 20:00
13/04
Formula 3: Race (22 laps or 45 minutes + 1 lap)
12:55 - 13:45
13/04
Formula 2: Race (32 laps or 60 minutes + 1 lap)
14:25 - 15:30
13/04
Formula 1: Pilots' Parade
16:00 - 16:30
13/04
Formula 1: Race (57 laps or 120 minutes)
18:00 - 20:00
Sets of tires issued to teams for the weekend
The Bahrain circuit is well known to the Pirelli teams and engineers, but the weather will be the main variable of the upcoming weekend.
As in Suzuka, the teams will receive the tires of the three toughest compounds – C1 as Hard, C2 as Medium and C3 as Soft, but the features of the track and the high temperature of the air and asphalt will require a different approach than last week in Japan.
The Bahrain track has been used for many years, but the asphalt here is still abrasive, with heavy load on the tires in the braking and acceleration zones. The coating provides good grip, but sand from the desert can negatively affect the situation.
Usually, wear and granulation are not a limiting factor in Bahrain, but the thermal degradation of the leading tires has a very serious effect – the ability to control this factor is the key to success in Bahrain.
Achievements of current riders in Bahrain
Achievements of current drivers at the Bahrain Grand Prix
Racer
GP
Glasses
Circles
The best
pole position
1st row
fast
a circle
The podium
victory
Everything
is a leader
start
finish
L.Hamilton
17
246
959
222
1
1
3
8
1
11
5
F.Alonso
17
90
851
96
1
1
1
1
1
4
3
N.Hulkenberg
11
20
614
7
5
M.Verstappen
10
108
443
141
1
1
3
4
2
4
2
K.Sainz
10
59
463
2
3
2
2
L.Stroll
8
10
353
8
6
S. Leclerc
7
63
378
96
1
1
2
3
2
2
1
p.Extinguished
7
26
380
5
4
E.Windows
7
10
379
7
7
L. Norris
6
40
339
7
4
D. Russell
6
28
338
3
4
A.Elbon
5
18
284
4
3
1
Yu.Tsunoda
4
6
227
11
8
Fr. Piastri
2
4
70
8
8
Antonelli, Berman, Bortoleto, Duane, Lawson and Hajjar did not participate in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
==
Bahrain Grand Prix : All stages
Date
Track
Pole position
Winner
02/03/24
Sahir
M.Verstappen
Red Bull
M.Verstappen
Red Bull
05/03/23
Sahir
M.Verstappen
Red Bull
M.Verstappen
Red Bull
20/03/22
Sahir
S.Leclerc
Ferrari
by S.Leclair
Ferrari
28/03/21
Sahir
M.Verstappen
Red Bull
L.Hamilton
Mercedes
29/11/20
Sahir
L.Hamilton
Mercedes
L.Hamilton
Mercedes
31/03/19
Sahir
S.Leclerc
Ferrari
by L. Hamilton
Mercedes
08/04/18
Sahir
S.Vettel
Ferrari
S.Vettel
Ferrari
16/04/17
Sahir
V.Bottas
Mercedes
S.Vettel
Ferrari
03/04/16
Sahir
L.Hamilton
Mercedes
N.Rosberg
Mercedes
19/04/15
Sahir
L.Hamilton
Mercedes
L.Hamilton
Mercedes
06/04/14
Sahir
N.Rosberg
Mercedes
L.Hamilton
Mercedes
21/04/13
Sahir
N.Rosberg
Mercedes
S.Vettel
Red Bull
22/04/12
Sahir
S.Vettel
Red Bull
S. Vettel
Red Bull
14/03/10
Sahir
S.Vettel
Red Bull
F.Alonso
Ferrari
26/04/09
Sahir
J.Trulli
Toyota
D.Button
Brawn GP
06/04/08
Sakhir
R.Kubica
BMW Sauber
F.Weight
Ferrari
15/04/07
Sahir
F.Weight
Ferrari
F.Weight
Ferrari
12/03/06
Sahir
M.Schumacher
F.Alonso's Ferrari
Renault
03/04/05
Sahir
F.Alonso
Renault
F.Alonso
Renault
04/04/04
Sahir
M.Schumacher
Ferrari
by M.Schumacher
Ferrari
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